Chapter 185

Chapter 185

A few minutes later, the vibration of a smartphone broke the silence in the car. Bagot, the bodyguard who had been with Brian for years, pulled out his phone and saw it was Madelyn calling. He hesitated before informing Brian in a hushed tone, “Mr. Howard, it’s a call from Ms. Harris…”

Brian couldn’t help but frown and muttered, “Hang it up.”

Madelyn was known for her petulance. She should’ve understood that Brian was busy working if he didn’t pick up.

“Understood.”

But no sooner had Bagot disconnected the call than a barrage of texts from Madelyn followed rapidly.

After glancing over the messages, Bagot’s face paled, and he hit the brakes, pulling over to the roadside.

Brian’s expression turned dark as he looked up at Bagot.

“Mr. Howard! Look at this!” Bagot immediately handed his phone to Brian.

ご

The text from Madelyn read, [Natalie and Reid knocked me out today! When I woke up, Nate was gone! I can’t find a trace of him anywhere! They must have teamed up and kidnapped Nate!]

As Brian processed the message, he was momentarily stunned and abruptly said, “Meeting’s off!”

Closing his laptop, he commanded Bagot, “Call Reid now!”

Not waiting for further instruction, Bagot had already dialed Reid’s number, only to hear a notification that the phone was off.

“Reid wouldn’t…” Bagot started, his voice shaky as he turned to Brian.

Brian picked up his phone and immediately dialed Natalie’s number.

Natalie had left the office after having dinner with Rosie and was planning to head back to Prestige Penthouses for some rest. They were in the car, gossiping about trivial matters.

“Your phone’s ringing,” Rosie noted, nodding at Natalie’s lit–up screen.

Natalie glanced down, saw it was Brian, and casually pressed the decline button.

If Brian wanted to find her, he wouldn’t just call. He would know she’d returned to Prestige Penthouses.

“Brian?” Rosie noticed the subtle change in Natalie’s expression and guessed the caller.

Natalie just smiled and remained silent. The comfortable atmosphere became strained with

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Chapter 185

Brian’s interruption, and both fell silent.

After a moment, unable to suppress her curiosity, Rosie cautiously ventured, “You and Brian…”

“We have no connections. It’s nothing more than a massive debt I owe Brian,” Natalie rémarked nonchalantly, her gaze fixed on the scene outside the car window.

Rosie glanced at her and said, “I’ve heard about that incident a few years back, and since you share the last name with Gracia, are you…”

“Yes, I’m Gracia’s older sister. My mother ran off with billions from the Howard family, nearly bankrupting them,” Natalie interrupted softly.

Given that Rosie had already witnessed the dynamics between Brian and her, there was no point in hiding anything.

Rosie immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, Natalie, I didn’t mean to…”

“I don’t understand why you should suffer for your mother’s mistakes. Where is she now anyway?”

Natalie and Rosie exchanged a glance, and then Natalie smiled. “I know you’re not mocking

me.”

After a brief pause, she continued, “Honestly, I don’t know where my mother is. I’ve been looking for her for four years without a clue.”

Natalie even wondered if Audrey had gotten caught up in something illegal or if she was targeted for the fortune she had stolen and had been killed by robbers.

She would personally investigate any slightest rumor or sign, hoping for a lead on Audrey’s whereabouts.

But the results were the same each time, a profound disappointment. Audrey had vanished as if she’d evaporated from the earth.